Alphacharlie,
I know it is frustrating for chaps like you, but the company don't care about annoying you if they can get away with it. Some far more senior people have been left just as frustrated with other decisions.Also, I can't see how liftman joining the seniority list or not would affect you. As Smith says, the truth is that we all want to be fairly treated (and so we should be) but the company is not in business to just keep its employees happy.